Building Your Online Business with Content Marketing

No matter what kind of business you are in, content marketing is a powerful way to build your online business. In fact many marketing experts agree that building your business online with content marketing is the most cost effective marketing strategy that you can employ.

This post on Building Your Business Online with Content Marketingwill get you up to speed on the fundamentals of:

What is Content Marketing?

What Does Content Marketing Mean for My Business?

Seven Must Have Components for an Effective Content Marketing Campaign

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing helps online business owners build authority. In this modern age of internet business marketing authority rules.

When it comes to online business marketing, building authority is powerful stuff. Why?

Authority Works!

Authority works to bring traffic to your site more effectively than any other marketing tactic. It works better than banner ads. It works better than back linking strategies that have been banned by Google; and it works better than spurious software that purports to “snatch away leads” before they get to other websites.

The reason why building your authority with content marketing is so powerful is because it is an honest way to do business. The more honest and transparent you are, the more likely you are to attract loyal, lifetime customers.

The purpose of authoritative content marketing is to convert visitors into prospects, prospects into customers and customers into lifetime repeat buyers. Therefore, the type of content you share with your audience must be closely related to what you offer.

By creating and sharing free content, you are building credibility and educating people. Sharing information that is valuable to your audience helps people to get to know you, like you and trust you enough to prefer giving their business to you over your competitors.

What Does Content Marketing Mean For My Business?

Every place you look on the internet these days is filled with examples of content marketing. Google loves content. Content built upon the foundation of authority will help your business rank well in the search results so that people can find your online or local business. Google ranks sites that people think are important much higher than those with very little traffic.

If people think you are important, Google will too. How does that happen? The actual content of your website—what is written on your pages and blog posts—demonstrates your expertise. Keep in mind, what other people say about you is more important to Google than what you say about yourself.

Highly popular TV shows like American Idol, Dancing With the Stars and The Voice use voter popularity as part of their top winner selection. Google does the same thing. That’s why all of your content marketing collateral should include an invitation to comment and share with others toward the end of the document.

Social sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn love content. YouTube and Vimeo love content. Savvy content marketers know that high quality content spreads like wildfire on social marketing sites. Internet millionaires know that the best way to gain exposure for their product or service is to create compelling content for their website and then drive traffic from social marketing sites.

Content attracts visitors who are potential buyers. But everyone these days is wary of the slick internet marketing advertisers. They are afraid of getting scammed.

The best way to achieve what online advertisers hope to achieve is through content marketing. Content marketing is a better way than advertising for people to get to know, like and trust you.

Seven Must Have Components for an Effective Content Marketing Campaign

-1- Web Copy

The first impression for visitors to you site comes from your web site pages and posts. Content on your website needs to be inviting, crisp and compelling.

Creative content marketing positions you as an authority in your area of expertise.

Great website copy has five elements:

A descriptive title that uses one or more important keywords

Is written in the style of a direct address to readers

Uses concise, clear language that is easy for readers to understand

Broken into small chunks that are easy to digest and separated into headings and sub-headings

Starts with a brief explanation and ends with a summary of the content

-2- Blog Posts

Your blog posts are a way of connecting with your market by giving them information that is fresh and relevant.To establish your authority you should be prepared to add a new blog post or page to your website a minimum of two times a week.

Blog posts are written from your unique point of view. Your posts can be any where from 400 to 2,000 words. Don’t obsess on the number of words. Use enough words to clearly express your point without rambling.

Use high-ranking keywords within your blog content. I find WordPress SEO by Yoast to be a great keyword tool to make sure blog posts are found by someone other than my family and friends. It takes a little while to identify the key words but it is well worth the time.

-3- Articles

Every business owner should publish articles. Articles are a good way to get your information to potential customers published. Once you have a series of well-written articles, you can submit them to online article directories like eZine, Street Articles, Hub Pages and Squiddo.

Article marketing is a powerful way to get your information linked back to your website. Keep three things in mind when submitting articles:

1) Do not use your article to promote yourself or your product. Use your article to give useful information about a specific topic.

3) Do not copy and paste one of your blogs and submit it to an article directory site. Google despises duplicate copy.

– 4- Case Studies

Case studies tell your success story through the eyes and experience of your best customers. Well-written case studies are easy to read. Prospects love to learn about the experience of others with your product of service.The best way to record your customer testimonials is with a case study that documents the before and after experience of your loyal customers.

–5- Ebooks

Ebooks are a proven way to generate leads for your business. More products are sold through a well-written eBook than almost any available medium. A well-written eBook helps to establish you as an authority in your field of expertise.

-6- White Papers and Free Reports

White Papers and Free Reports are crucial tools for building credibility and expertise. Thought leaders use white papers to showcase their expertise.

Free Reports are often written in a more casual and engaging style that serves to offer readers valuable information while presenting your products or services in a more favorable light. Both white papers and free reports can be used in exchange for email contact information.

-7- Videos

Videos are the latest rage in the world of content marketing. Most people have different learning preferences. While some prefer to read, others prefer to watch and listen. A well-placed video on your website is worth a thousand words.

Thanks for reading!

I hope you gained greater confidence and clarity about the importance of content marketing in your overall online business marketing strategy.

Did I miss anything? Please help me and my readers by posting your comments in the comment box below.

Would you like help with…

Designing your online marketing strategy?

Writing compelling content for your website?

Building a successful online business from scratch?

Whether you are brand new to online business marketing or an experienced business owner, I can help!

Contact me for a FREE COACHING session to find out how our services can catapult your business success!

Thanks so much for your comment. As a former music teacher I can say assuredly I love your website. I wish I had found your site years ago. It would have made my life as a music teacher so much easier! I want to encourage you to keep adding more content to your site. What you have written is excellent.

I’m happy about that because I know the more relevant content you add the more the search engines will work to bring your site the attention it deserves. You have built a great website based upon the depth of your passion.Adding more relevant content will serve to build your authority.

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